The present invention relates to a video data processing apparatus, a video data processing method, a data distributing apparatus, a data distributing method, a data receiving apparatus, a data receiving method and a storage medium for distributing video images shot by a camera, and more particularly to those adapted for distributing video images shot by an omnidirectional camera which consists of a plurality of cameras so positioned as to shoot ambient pictures from one viewpoint in the space.
In further detail, the present invention relates to a video data processing apparatus, a video data processing method, a data distributing apparatus, a data distributing method, a data receiving apparatus, a data receiving method and a storage medium for distributing video images, which are obtained from a plurality of cameras, in such a manner that the video images at any desired place can be selected on the receiver side, and more particularly to those adapted for realizing such distribution that the video images obtained from a plurality of cameras can be switched seamlessly on the receiver side.
There is known an omnidirectional camera as an apparatus for providing pictures of ambient scenes around a user. An ambient camera system of this kind consists of a plurality of cameras so positioned as to shoot ambient pictures from one viewpoint in the space. In the ambient camera system or omnidirectional camera system consisting of plural cameras, image processing is executed in a manner that respective boundaries of shot pictures obtained from adjacent cameras are properly connected, whereby pictures of much wider areas than the visual field of each camera are processed to form an image which may originally be obtained by the use of a single wide-angle camera.
Although a wide range can be shot by the use of a lens having a wide visual field, the resolution is deteriorated correspondingly thereto to consequently cause difficulty in recognizing the details. Meanwhile, using an ambient camera system enables provision of sufficient wide-range shot images with the high resolution maintained.
On the other hand, with the recent development of the information communication technology, there exists a demand for distributing video images from cameras to remote sites via a variety of distribution media.
According to the conventional broadcasting technology inclusive of terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, cable television broadcasting, high-definition television broadcasting and so forth, fundamentally one video image is receivable per channel. And since the field angle of the video image is previously determined at the time of recording on the transmitter side, it is impossible for the receiving user side to select a video image at a desired place.
Therefore, in order to realize selection of a desired field angle on the receiver side out of the entire omnidirectional video images obtained from a plurality of cameras, it is necessary to simultaneously receive a plurality of channels each composed of video image from one camera. However, realizing the above requires reconstruction of the hardware which causes an increase of the cost on the receiver side as well.
And even if a plurality of video images are rendered watchable simultaneously by reconstruction of the hardware on the receiving side, it is difficult to achieve seamless switching of video images shot by adjacent cameras.
It may be possible to transmit multi-angle images experimentally on a plurality of channels and to broadcast selected images while switching the channels on the receiving side. However, in this case also, it is still difficult to achieve seamless switching of video images from the individual cameras, and an increase of the production cost is unavoidable on the transmitter side as well.